Club Name : pillsanonymous Description : Welcome to Pills Anonymous.... This is a group specifically designed to help those addicted to or abusing prescription drugs, legally or illegally. We are not affiliated with any other Pills Anonymous group or 12-Step program. However, I highly suggest that, in addition to on-line support, you seek 12-Step meetings in your local area, even if it's AA or NA, as Pills Anonymous is new to the genre and therefore may be difficult to find in smaller cachements. The 12 Steps and 12 Traditions are universal, used in every 12-Step program from Overeaters Anonymous to Al-Anon to Crystal Meth Anonymous. In short, the 12 Steps are the basic steps we take to recover from addiction by finding and interacting with a Higher Power. The 12 Traditions are the basic principles we use in our interactions with others, namely in meetings and in "the Program." We need to follow these principles in this group as well. This leads me to "the rules." Unfortunately, anonymity, which is the spiritual foundation of our program, is a double-edge sword - it cuts both ways - so, if we are anonymous, our identities are protected from discrimination that may occur should someone find out we are "addicts" and this lack of fear enables us to be honest about ourselves - it's the 'no name, no ego, no lie' theory. Consequently, if one has no name and is unidentifiable, people can do or say whatever they want without fear of retaliation. So, what do we do when someone in the group is verbally abusive? Do we ban them from the very place that may help them overcome these character defects? or do we tolerate them with the same patience and understanding that others gave us? The Big Book has many suggestions, including tolerance and patience, prayer for the subject of your resentment, and finally setting boundaries with those that _may_ take advantage of our kindness. Those in Recovery may want to re-read Chapter 7 of the Big Book, "Working with Others", as I did before writing this. The first paragraph holds particular meaning; it is as follows: “Practical experience shows that nothing will so much insure immunity from drinking [using drugs] as intensive work with other alcoholics [and drug addicts]. It works when other activities fail. This is out twelfth suggestion [12th Step]: Carry this message to other alcoholics [and drug addicts]! You can help when no one else can. You can secure their confidence when others fail. Remember they are very ill. Life will take on new meaning. To watch people recover, to see them help others, to watch loneliness vanish, to see a fellowship grow up about you, to have a host of friends – this is an experience you must not miss. We know you will not want to miss it. Frequent contact with newcomers and with each other is the bright spot of our lives. [In order to help...]...don’t start out as an evangelist or reformer. Unfortunately a lot of prejudice exists. You will be handicapped if you arose it…it happens that because of your own drinking [using] experience you can be uniquely useful to others. So cooperate, never criticize. To be helpful is our only aim.”” (pg 89, 4th Ed.) With that in mind, let's review the basic rules of conduct. 1) Treat Others As You Would Like to Be Treated. 2) Trolling profiles are prohibited to join the forum. Profiles that are, in fact, advertisements for particular companies, even if it is "recovery"-related, like treatment centers or rehabs, etc. are not allowed to join the forum. Similarly, any such advertisements along the borders of the page should be disregarded. Pills Anonymous does not endorse them. If you want a referral, just ask. 3) Violent profiles will be deleted. This largely applies to profiles graphically advocating any violence against certain ethnic groups/nationalities/religions/sexual orientation or individual person (ie. I hate Blacks or Gays) or purporting to have participated in such violence. This is against Myspace TOS. 4) Abusive language, especially constant attacks, will NOT be tolerated. This includes being condescending, rude, and the like. KEEP IT CIVIL. This is a Recovery support group --- not a debate group. The goal of this group is to support, encourage and inform. Period! 5) Do not attack an individual because you might believe that the topic is ridiculous or does not belong on the forum. Flaming will not be tolerated. 6) The moderator will e-mail you a warning before you are banned. If the moderator asks you to cease a conversation that is inflammatory, please comply. If she emails you a warning, a polite e-mail in reply is the only acceptable form of communication with the Moderator. Hate Mail or Flaming in Retaliation to the warning will lead to a BAN. 7) Threads that are deemed inappropriate will be deleted by the mod without notice. 8) Graphic materials or links to any graphic materials will be deleted. Any member who violates this rule may be subject to a ban without a warning. Also, please do not post oversized graphics as it ruins the framing of the group. Resize the appropriate image first and then post. 11a) Please post Authortive Sources when replying to threads if possible. (Blogs are not usually considered sources as they are debatable). This will support your post as true and help ensure unresearched or erroneous topics aren’t posted. 11b)If you are stating statistics then you must identify your source, including the author and title of the study as well as a link to the website or name of the journal that published the study. If you are speaking from personal experience, please state, “From my personal experience, I have found------to be the case.” This will prevent the spread of inaccurate information and unnecessary debate. 12) Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of recovery. Anyone posting photos of other members’ myspace profile pics or ‘outing’ them by identifying them even without the use of their name will be banned immediately. This includes people from other groups or those who have ‘celebrity’ status. Members have a right to be treated with respect even if you disagree with them and not intentionally humiliated. 13) Lastly and most importantly, spamming has Zero Tolerance in this group. All Spammers will be reported to Myspace Customer Care for profile deletion as well as banned and blocked. This includes anyone who alters threads through stylesheets, errors them out, posts overly large images or long names and is just generally disruptive. In severe cases, appropriate legal action will be taken if necessary. Internet Harassment is Illegal and a waste of time for everyone. Peace, Maggie SOME INFO ON PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE and how to get help: I often get e-mails from those wishing to break free from dependence on prescription drugs. My replies vary based on the type of drug being used or abused as well as the individual. However, some suggestions are universal. These are: 1) If you are currently using prescription drugs and want to quit, you may not be able to do so without the help of another kind of doctor, an addiction specialist or chemical dependency specialist. This is recommended, as telling the doctor who prescribed you the drugs initially may result in that doctor cutting off your supply, as it is illegal and unethical (in most states) for a doctor to prescribe you narcotics if s/he knows you are an addict. Additionally, that doctor may not know what to do or take your concern seriously. So before you cut off your supply, you should have a doctor who is helping you detox. 2) For those who cannot “just quit,” out-patient or in-patient detox is necessary. Out-patient detoxes require you to go in daily in order to be monitored by a nurse and/or get your daily dose of medications. All detox treatments need to be monitored by medical professionals. If you have multiple detox failures, I recommend in-patient treatment at an accredited (licensed) facility. Check it out first; if possible, to make sure you will be in a safe place while you undergo a very uncomfortable process. 3)No matter what - NEVER GIVE UP!! It took me a few years and countless attempts to finally kick the many drugs I had been prescribed over the years. I did it 'one monster at a time,' starting with the worst (OxyContin aka oxycodone) and ending with the anti-depressants and cigarettes. I truly believe that you can escape from the nightmare of drug abuse and addiction. Miracles do happen. As they say in AA, “Don’t leave before the miracle.” Can today be the day you finally quit? Love to all....Maggie PS: If you know someone who is ruining the lives of others by profiting from the illegal sale of prescription drugs, and want to inform the appropriate people ANONYMOUSLY, you can call 1-877-Rx-ABUSE. NOT SURE IF YOU’RE AN ADDICT? Take the quiz at this link to assess for opiate dependence: http://suboxone.com/patients/resources/dependence_identifier.aspx **(Although this link is sponsored by a pharmaceutical company, I in NO WAY endorse the advertised product, Suboxone. I am familiar with it, however, and would be willing to answer any questions you may have.) RESOURCES: WEBSITES: Pills Anonymous: PA: PillsAnonymous@groups.msn.com Narcotics Anonymous: NA: www.na.org Alcoholics Anonymous: AA: http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org **This site includes a Virtual Big Book**